


All The Happy Endings

by bearshorty



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Community: rs_games, Divergent Timelines, M/M, R/S Games 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-01-06 08:04:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12207171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bearshorty/pseuds/bearshorty
Summary: R/S Games 2017 - Day 2 - Team RemusThere were at least seven ways Remus’s story had an ending. Almost all of them were happy.





	All The Happy Endings

**Author's Note:**

> **Team:** Remus  
>  **Title:** All The Happy Endings  
>  **Rating:** PG  
>  **Warnings:** canon character death  
>  **Genres:** canon, AU  
>  **Word Count:**   4400  
>  **Summary:** There were at least seven ways Remus’s story had an ending. Almost all of them were happy.  
>  **Notes:** There is a canon death, but also a canon birth. Some kissing and some AU scenes. A little bit of everything, really; all the tropes I wanted to try. Thank you to B for the beta. Thank you to the mods for putting together this wonderful fest year after year and letting me have so much fun. This was a first fest I got the courage to sign up for and I don’t regret it for a minute.  
>  **Prompt:** #40 - “If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story” - Orson Welles

_“If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story” Orson Welles_  
   
**1.**  
   
The story ends like this:  
   
19 Years Later - April 2017  
   
Remus made his way wearily down the stairs. Full moons never got easier even if one did spend them curled up on the floor of one’s bedroom after taking a Wolfsbane potion. Bones still had to break and reassemble back together, and all Remus wanted this morning was some nice warm cup of tea and to go back to bed.  
   
The sweet smell of baked goods greeted him in the kitchen. Sirius, covered in flour, was busy levitating a cake to the table and putting frosting on it at the same time.  
   
“What are you doing?” asked Remus.  
   
“Ssh,” said Sirius, focusing on the cake, “Don’t ruin my concentration or I will drop it and I just spent two hours making this cake.”  
   
Remus raised his eyebrow but waited to say anything more. He saw that Sirius had already placed his tea on the kitchen table and had performed a warm-up charm on it. Remus gratefully lowered himself in a chair with a creak. He was only 57, and he didn’t want to think how he would feel even in a couple of years. At the same time, he was grateful to even make it this far.  
   
Remus took a sip of tea and watched as Sirius finally lowered the cake onto a big plate in the middle of the table, finished applying chocolate frosting, and then used his wand to write “Happy Birthday, Teddy!” with buttercream. When the cake was finally done, Sirius looked at Remus with a clearly manic expression, wiped a bit of flour from his forehead and asked, “What do you think?”  
   
“Nice cake. But I don’t see why you had to get up at five in the morning to bake it, especially as Teddy’s party is not for four more days,” said Remus, gratefully taking another sip of tea. He really just wanted to get back to bed soon.  
   
Sirius poured himself some coffee and smiled at Remus. Remus’ heart fluttered despite his tired state.  
   
“His party might be on Saturday but today is his actual birthday. So he needed a cake.” He bit his lip and added, “Besides, I couldn’t sleep so I thought I would do something productive.”  
   
Remus put his hand on Sirius’ right one. Sirius looked at him and smiled a little. “You need to stop worrying and not sleeping during the full. The potion works fine. You pay good money to ensure it. I’m fine, Sirius.”  
   
“You’re not. And you’re tired and you will need rest. I can’t help but worry. I wish you’d let me be Padfoot with you like when we were kids.”  
   
Remus squeezed Sirius’ hand and let go to take another sip of his tea. “You need your sleep too. We’re getting older, you know. You can’t just stay up all night anymore.”  
   
“Speak for yourself. Besides, I’m two years younger than you now, remember, because of the Veil. I don’t think I aged in there for the two years it kept me”  
   
“Don’t worry, you are as handsome as ever,” Remus smiled his indulgent smile.  
   
“Of course.” Sirius smiled back. It was an old and very worn conversation, and Remus knew they both loved it. He knew what Sirius would say next too.  
   
“And you were lucky the Veil did spit me out when it did so I could go rescue you from being killed at the Battle of Hogwarts.”  
   
“That was rather lucky,” Remus said. He took another sip of tea and eyed the cake with interest. “It’s chocolate cake, right?”  
   
Sirius grinned, “Of course. Like father, like son. All my boys love chocolate. What else would it be?”  
   
Just then they both heard loud footsteps on the stairs as Teddy came charging into the kitchen. He was running, as usual. He ran to the counter and poured himself some tea into the portable cup, grabbed a pastry, and with “Morning, Dads” was about to charge back out.  
   
“Hold on, Teddy,” said Sirius, leaning back in his chair and holding Teddy back by the arm. “Happy birthday! At least let us see you for a minute before you rush off to that apprenticeship of yours. I made you cake.”  
   
“Sorry, Dad. I’m late. If I don’t make it on time, Healer Portbender would have my head. I think he is planning to shrink it. Quite literally. And my party is on Saturday. Plus, Da is going to be feeling much better by then.”  
   
Teddy put one hand on Remus’ shoulder just for reassurance and Remus smiled to let him know he was feeling decent enough. Teddy had left him a couple of potions to take in the morning, and they did seem to start working by now as Remus was feeling just a little less like a car ran him over.  
   
“Happy birthday, Teddy,” Remus said, “Sirius did work quite hard to make that cake. At least blow out the candles. Then I can have a piece.” He paused for the sake of drama and added, “It’s chocolate with chocolate frosting.”  
   
Teddy did perked up at that. “Alright, but just for a minute. And I will take a piece of the cake with me for lunch.”  
   
Sirius barked a laugh and lit the candle in the middle. “He is definitely your son, Remus, no question there. Happy 19th, Teddy. Make a wish.”  
   
Teddy took a deep breath and blew out his candle. Remus happily took a slice of cake (for medicinal purposes, of course). He felt quite content even though it was the morning after the full moon.  
   
**2.**  
   
Or perhaps it really should have ended here:  
   
March 1975  
   
“Look what I got.” The door slammed and Remus looked up in time to catch an orange that had been thrown at him.  
   
Sirius grinned and threw another one at Peter who was lounging on his bed, reading. Peter didn’t catch it and the orange fell off his bed. Peter rolled his eyes and went to grab it.  
   
“Didn’t you just serve detention for sneaking around?” asked Remus, peeling his orange. “If Filch catches you again, especially sneaking into the kitchens, it will be worse.”  
   
Sirius flopped on his bed. “He has to catch us first. Besides, after a good detention, the best thing to do is to break the rules again. Don’t want to seem reformed, do I?”  
   
Remus tried hard to suppress a smile so as not to encourage him and bit into a slice instead. It was just the right amount of sweet.  
   
“Where is James?” asked Peter, finally emerging from the side of the bed with his orange.  
   
“In the common room, the git. Evans was there so he decided to regale her with stories of detention. He thinks it would be impressive. I really didn’t want to cringe in embarrassment for him.”  
   
Peter started toward the door. “I’ll go see if I can drag him back here.”  
   
“Good luck,” said Sirius, in such a way that it was clear he didn’t believe Peter would be able to help.  
   
The door closed behind Peter, and Sirius looked over at Remus, who was busy eating the slices with relish. Remus saw him notice all the books and parchment on his bed.  
   
“Are you still doing the Transfiguration essay? Shouldn’t you be done by now? You started that hours ago.  We are not doing O.W.L.s until next year, you know,” said Sirius.  
   
“Not all of us are geniuses. Some of us have to put the work in,” said Remus. “Besides the full moon is soon and I want to be ahead in my work somewhat.”  
   
“That’s not for a week.”  
   
“Didn’t know you were keeping track.”  
   
Sirius looked at him as if Remus was daft. “Of course, I keep track.”  
   
Remus felt something in the pit of his stomach again and his face started to get a little red. He looked away and finished his orange instead. He really needed to get a handle on this. He couldn’t react anytime Sirius said something like this. He didn’t want Sirius to suspect anything about his feelings.  
   
His bed moved and Remus looked up in alarm to find that Sirius moved closer.  Remus tried scooting back a little but it didn’t seem to help. Sirius had a very strange expression on his face. Remus did not dare to hope.  
   
“I worry, you know.”  
   
Remus could only nod and try to breathe properly. Sirius was too close.  
   
But Sirius did not move away. Instead, he leaned forward and briefly pressed his lips to Remus’ own. It was very short but Remus felt like his heart had stopped. This could not be happening. He must have fallen asleep while studying. Yet, Sirius’ lips felt very real. Dry and soft.  
   
Before Remus could respond or even utter a sound, Sirius moved away again and assumed his regular posture of casual nonchalance.  
   
“I’ll go see if I can help Peter extract James before he manages to be a complete pillock. Don’t study too hard.”  
   
Sirius left the room and Remus could just stare at the door. What did just happen? Despite trying very hard not to hope and to read more into this than it probably meant, a fission of pure joy started running through Remus. He let himself simply feel it for once.  
   
**3.**  
   
This would be a good ending:  
   
April 1998  
   
Remus kept pacing up and down in the sitting room. He hated being a cliche but he simply could not sit and work on Order business with Dora upstairs in labor. He really wanted to be in the room with her, to help her somehow. However, no one could cross Andromeda, who insisted that the birth be traditional with a midwife Healer, and therefore only within the realm of women.  
   
Remus was at least reassured that the midwife was a friend of Molly’s, and had worked for the Order before. Someone he could trust. Still, he couldn’t help but worry. Wizards might have many advantages in managing the pain of childbirth and helping the process along, but it was still a risky business. He wished he could be useful.  
   
He did try listening by the door of the bedroom, but Andromeda must have cast a silencing charm for he couldn’t hear anything. So back to the sitting room it was, to his desk to try to work. That was useless.  
   
Suddenly, he heard the squeaking of the door and, at the same time, a small cry of a little baby. Remus raised his head, and listened to the cry of his child. He had a child! With the racing heart, he hurried to the bedroom.  
   
First thing he saw was Dora, lying on the bed looking exhausted but smiling. She saw him and her hair changed from brown to pink. She lifted her hand to him and Remus rushed to take it. The baby cry was coming from the corner, and Remus saw the midwife and Andromeda raising their wands and performing what he assumed were cleaning and measuring spells.  
   
Then Andromeda wrapped the baby, who looked so very tiny, and brought the baby over to Dora.  
   
“It’s a boy, Remus,” she said. “He’s beautiful. He looks a little like my Ted.”  
   
She handed the baby to Dora, who let go of Remus’ hand to take the baby. Remus could see a scrunchy little face with a squishy nose. He was snuffling and reminded Remus of a little piggy. He was the most beautiful person Remus had ever seen.  
   
He had a son! That little creature was his child, and he had little fingers poking out from his blanket.  
   
“He’s amazing,” Remus whispered. Dora looked at him and smiled.  
   
“Hiya, little Teddy,” Dora said to the baby. “Welcome to the world. It is a little shitty at the moment and we are working on making it much better for you. And we are going to work even harder to make sure you will only have a happy future. Your name is Edward Remus Lupin and you are named for your grandpa and your dad.”  
   
Dora looked at Andromeda and said with a slight wobble to her voice, “I wish Dad could see him.”  
   
“I know, Nymphadora,” said Andromeda. “Me too. But he would be very proud of you and very happy.”  
   
Remus reached out his hand and tentatively stroked Teddy’s forehead. “Hi, little guy. I’m your Da. I’m going to take care of you.” Teddy didn’t really turn his head toward Remus but his hair did change color from black to ginger.  
   
“He’s a Metamorphmagus!” exclaimed Remus.  
   
“He is,” Dora laughed.  
   
“He’s not like me! Thank goodness. I was so worried.” Remus felt such a profound sense of relief that Teddy inherited his mother’s genes. He couldn’t be a werewolf then, since Metamorphmaguses were the only people who could not be infected with lycanthropy. They already changed shape quite often.  
   
Remus didn’t think it was possible for his body to have this much joy.  
   
“Of course he is not like you. Despite his family name. He is a Black and a Tonks and our genes are obviously superior.” Andromeda said this with such a serious expression that Remus couldn’t tell if she was joking for over ten seconds before he saw a slight crinkle in her eyes. Andromeda did seem to forgive him for leaving the previous autumn, although it took some doing.  
   
“May I hold him?” Remus asked.  
   
Dora held Teddy to him, “You better. I’m so tired I can sleep for a day.”  
   
Remus carefully took the baby. Teddy looked up at Remus, and as their eyes met Remus knew for sure this was the happiest moment of his entire life.  
   
**4.**  
   
Or maybe this is where the story should have ended:  
   
Christmas 1995  
   
When Remus entered Sirius’ room after all the kids and most of the adults had gone to bed and the house was very quiet, Sirius was lying on the bed and humming “Good King Wenceslas.” His good mood, which had been present the whole day (much to Remus’ surprise), was still there. Remus was glad. As much as he was happy to have made it home to Grimmauld Place for Christmas, he was a little wary of what would await him. There were days when Sirius just stayed up with Buckbeak and was too morose to even want Remus around.  
   
Today was not that day, though, as Sirius looked up and smiled a truly dazzling smile, one that made him look very young again.  
   
“Happy Christmas, Moony,” said Sirius and sat up in the bed.  
   
“Happy Christmas, Padfoot. I brought up some tea and your present. I told you I got something for you.” Remus floated Sirius’ cup over to him and Sirius took it up gladly.  
   
Sirius said, “I wish I could actually get you a better present. But it is not exactly like I can leave here to go shopping.”  
   
“I loved the books you got me,” said Remus as he kicked off his shoes and made Sirius scoot over so he could sit on the bed next to him. Their legs touched and it was just lovely.  
   
“Those are from the house library. I tried to find ones you might like that were also the least likely to kill you or bite your hand off.”  
   
“Well, I love them.”  
   
“Speaking of books, thank you again for picking Harry’s gift. Those books seemed to go over well.”  
   
“I knew he would find them useful. And it was fun to shop with unlimited funds.”  
   
“You should have gotten something else for yourself too, you know.”  
   
“Sirius, don’t start,” said Remus sternly.  
   
Sirius shrugged and drank some of his tea. Remus put cinnamon in it.  
   
“Here, open yours. It’s not much but I thought you might like it,” said Remus.  
   
Sirius put his tea on a night stand and ripped open the wrapping paper. Inside was a small bag of coffee. Sirius smelled it and closed his eyes in ecstasy.   
   
“This is divine, Remus. Thank you. Kreacher always pretends he doesn’t know how to get some. He mumbles that proper Wizards only drink tea.”  
   
“Well, I do know how you like it ever since my Da let you have some. My mother introduced him to it, you know.”  
   
“Thank you, Moony,” Sirius said again, more softly, and he leaned in to give Remus a kiss. It tasted of cinnamon.  
   
Remus sighed in contentment. They both leaned against the headboard and took up their tea again.  
   
“Today was good. Not Arthur in the hospital, mind. But just having a proper Christmas.”  
   
“I know, Padfoot. I know.”  
   
**5.**  
   
Of course, this was also an ending:  
   
March 1976  
   
Remus was exhausted by the time he made it up to the dormitory. The full moon was next week and he wanted to really catch up on his work. O.W.L. year meant much more work than usual and he felt like he was falling behind.  
   
He wished he could be like Sirius, who never seemed to study but still excelled at all his tests. Although, come to think of it, Remus had seen him around reading books much more often these days even though these books were not part of any lessons. Whenever Remus tried to take a look at these books himself, Sirius would distract him with snogging. Remus noticed the change in subject but, since he much prefered to snog Sirius as well, he just let it go.  
   
It was March 10th, his 16th birthday, and all he wanted to do is to go back to the dormitory, have a cake James had promised him, and go to sleep.  
   
When he opened the door, he saw Sirius, James and Peter huddled on the floor by James bed. They seemed engrossed in something but stopped talking as soon as Remus came in.  
   
“What is it?” said Remus. “Do I have a hideous pimple or something? Because it will go away as soon as I become an uncontrollable beast next week. One advantage of a painful transformation is the clear skin afterward.” Remus tried to joke; the silence was unnerving him.  
   
“Hey, Remus. You’re here,” said Peter.  
   
“Right. I live here,” said Remus, putting his books on his bed.  
   
“So, mate,” said James, in a strange tone of voice, both anxious and excited at the same time. “We have a birthday present for you.”  
   
“You already gave me presents this morning,” said Remus, puzzled.  
   
“This one is the real one,” said Sirius.  
   
As Remus opened his mouth to ask what it was, Sirius was no longer there. Instead a very large black dog stood in his place, frantically waving his tail. Then Sirius was back.  
   
“Well, what do you think?”  
   
Remus couldn’t speak. Sirius never mentioned he was an Animagus. He really didn’t know what to think.  
   
Then James disappeared and a big stag stood in his place. He looked straight at Remus, looking too big for their room. Then James was back grinning broadly. “The stag should keep the wolf quite busy,” said James.  
   
“What?” Remus finally managed.  
   
“We learned for you, see,” said Sirius.  
   
“Maybe we are not explaining it right,” said Peter. Then he disappeared, and Remus didn’t know what happened until he heard a squeak and saw a mouse right where Peter had been standing a moment ago. No, a rat. The rat became Peter again and said, “I’m going to be small enough to press that knot of the Whomping Willow. It worked out quite nicely. And then we will all sneak in and join you when you change.”  
   
“You won’t have to be alone, mate,” said James.  
   
“How are all three of you Animagi?” Remus still couldn’t believe it, much less understand that his friends would be with him on the next full moon.  
   
“We studied for the last three years. Ever since we learned in Transfiguration that werewolves don’t hurt Animagi during the full moon. So we decided to become Animagi.”  
   
“But that is such complex magic! And are you registered? I don’t want you to get in trouble.”  
   
“Don’t worry, we won’t get caught,” said Peter.  
   
“You will be with me on full moon?” asked Remus, his voice trembling.  
   
“That’s right,” said Sirius. He was smiling softly with eyes so full of love that Remus had to turn away briefly to wipe the happy tears from his face.  
   
“You are amazing friends. This is the best birthday present ever.”  
   
“I know, right,” said James.  
   
Remus didn’t know he could be so lucky.  
   
**6.**  
   
There could be a happily ever after:  
   
May 1998 but really time did not exist anymore  
   
First thing that Remus noticed was the salty smell of the sea. This was surprising as just a moment before he was standing on the battlefield, and the smell was not pleasant. But Hogwarts was nowhere in sight, and he knew he didn’t really Apparate anywhere.  
   
But there he was in a fog, smelling the salty air. As he looked around, the fog seemed to clear a little and Remus realized that he was standing on the deck of a ship. A big one too, and looking at the ocean. The water was strangely calm. In fact, it looked painted with pastels. It felt real at the same time.  
   
Before he could even think about where he was and how he got there, he heard the sound of footsteps. They were so achingly familiar that Remus couldn’t help it but look in their direction with his heart leaping.  
   
Sirius, younger looking Sirius, with broad smile on his face was coming toward him.  
   
Remus couldn’t move. And then Sirius’s arms were around him, and he was smelling Sirius and feeling him. Remus did not even flinch at the realization that he must have died just moments before.  
   
It was a while and at the same time not so long when Sirius finally pulled away, still holding on to Remus and said, “Took you awhile to get here. I was getting tired of waiting.”  
   
“Were you?” asked Remus, raising his eyebrow.  
   
“Not really. In fact you could have lived longer. Should have, in fact.”  
   
“There was a battle and I don’t even know who won and what is ....”  
   
“It doesn’t matter,” said Sirius, pulling Remus back to him. “That world is lost to us and its events and consequences too. All that matters is that you are here.”  
   
Remus wanted to agree but one thought kept coming to him, “It matters what will happen to Teddy. My son.”  He pulled back a little so he could look Sirius in the eye. “I have a son. He is only a few weeks old.”  
   
Remus waited for Sirius to let go of him or get angry or sad, but Sirius didn’t do any of those things. “I know,” he said. “It’s wonderful. I am glad you could move on, you know. And I was right that Tonks had a crush on you, wasn’t I?”  
   
“Yes, you were. You died and…”  
   
Sirius put two fingers on Remus’ lips to silence him, “It doesn’t matter. I was dead; you had to live. And you did. But that was then, and now it doesn’t matter. Your heart wanted to be here with me because you’re here, and that is all that matters. And Teddy, your son, will be all right. He has family and friends who will take care of him. And one day we will meet him. Hopefully a long time from now.”  
   
Remus nodded. “Where are we?” he asked.  
   
“I don’t know,” said Sirius. “This is your choice. Where are we?”  
   
Remus looked around. With the fog clearing more and more, the world around him took its shape. And then he knew.  
   
“We are on a ship. A big ship. _Queen Elizabeth 2_ , the ocean liner, I think. I always wanted to sail on it. I just never got the chance. My Mom talked about it when she was young. She and Da wanted to sail on it but then she got pregnant with me and they missed their chance. She had a photograph on the sitting room wall. You know, when we were young, I daydreamed of traveling on it with you.”  
   
“Well, there you have it. I have never been on the ocean. Sounds fun. I just spent some time with James and Lily, and their afterlife is so ridiculously boring and domestic that I’m actually really glad you got killed.”  
   
“Thanks a lot,” said Remus.  
   
“You’re welcome,” said Sirius, ignoring all the sarcasm. And then he swept Remus off his feet and kissed him.   
   
**7.**  
   
This is the end of Remus’ story:  
   
May 1998  
   
They say that right before you die, your whole life flashes before your eyes.  
   
In the second or two before Remus died, he only really focused on the happy moments. He saw the green light of Dolohov’s curse and, with the realization that he won’t be able to block it, time seemed to slow down just enough to focus on a few memories and some dreams that he wished were true.  
   
He didn’t think about that horrible moment when Greyback changed his life forever. Or the insults and hardship that were his lot for something that was out of his control. He didn’t think about the time he thought his world had ended when Aurors told him that Sirius betrayed James and Lily and that they, and Peter, were dead. He didn’t think about the years spent jobless, friendless, and barely scraping by.  
   
In that second, he thought about Teddy and how happy he was when his son was born. He thought about his first kiss, and the time when his friends told him he wouldn’t have to be alone for his transformations anymore. He thought about Grimmauld Place and finding peace there despite the chaos and war and Sirius’ endless frustrations. He imagined Sirius coming to rescue him and living happily ever after. And then he hoped for what the next moments after his death would bring.  
   
Right in the moment when Remus’s story ends, all he remembers are the happy endings.


End file.
